Revisiting why we started

What began with a silly question (“does one breast look bigger than the other”) led to our first post. Having just posted our 150th post the other day, I thought tonight would be a good occasion to revisit why I started this blog. There was the obvious, that Meghan was completely grossed out and swearing never to eat chicken or beef again after reading Veganist. There was the less obvious, that I just wanted to be able to hold myself accountable for eating better and working out more, having a written record of what I was doing. There is the crazy dream, becoming insanely popular and famous. And there is the underlying desire to help my friends who want to be healthier, more creative in the kitchen and just need to know someone else is out there struggling to do the same things.

I had a doctors appointment last week. It was my 6 month checkup to see where my cholesterol level was. Even though I eat healthy and work out, I have been consistently over 200, somewhere around 220 or so. My doctor prescribed me a cholesterol medication that I take every day. This past checkup my cholesterol clocked in at 177! I am so glad to see if below 200. Maybe someday I can defeat genetics and be taken off my medication.

I also wanted to get off my blood pressure medication. I have taken up yoga. I have worked to reduce various stress-causing factors in my life. My blood pressure was completely normal. I asked my doctor if I could stop taking my blood pressure medications. He was OK with it, as long as I continue to monitor and record my blood pressure for the next 6 months. If it starts to go back up I have to call him. I am determined to not call him.

As Meghan and I continue to explore new workouts and new recipes, we will share them here with you. And we love to hear from you as well. Drop a comment, we try to respond to them and have made some new blog friends since we started. In case you are new, below is our first post, always fun to look back and see what I was thinking about.

BLOG POST #1: Does one breast look bigger than the other

I turned around, took a look. “Yes, the right one looks bigger. And it kinda has a funny color to it.” She stared down, “Yeah, I think you are right. That is odd.” We each stood there for a minute, and then she said, “well you have the one on the right, I want the one from Whole Foods.” And so began our current culinary journey from prototypical American omnivores to vegan-ish.

What began with an inquisitive look at a pair of chicken breasts on the cutting board, led to a book, Veganist, that my sister recommended my wife read, and which my wife recommended that I read. From a book, we took the challenge of reinventing what we ate. Why not, we were up for this challenge. Hadn’t we just reinvented ourselves already when it came to our overall health?

My wife, Meghan, is my best friend, and truly an inspiration to me. Several years ago she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, and eventually was placed on medication. She has never been one to take pills, especially when you can’t get the chewable version. Her goal was to get off those pills. Her doctor told her to loose weight. Here was someone who was healthy, active, a dancer, went to the gym, and her doctor is telling her to loose weight or stay on the pills. So, Meghan took up running. It took an entire summer, but she was able to run the 3+ miles around the lake by our house. I was very proud of her. Then she decided to tackle the weight loss challenge. She decided to do Weight Watchers, because they came to her office. She stuck with it, we learned a lot about portion control, and even got a few healthy recipes (which we will share in this blog). She lost 30 pounds, stopped taking the pills for RA, and has not had symptoms in almost a year. When she decided she wanted to move towards veganism, how could I not join her? She had already proved her ability to reach her goals before.

What about me? Well, I have high cholesterol. I have high blood pressure. I am a runner. I eat healthy. I exercise, a lot. I take medication for my cholesterol. I take medication for my blood pressure. Moving towards a healthier alternative diet could certainly have benefits for me. I took the challenge of P90X to start 2011. I was finishing an intense 21-month MBA program and wanted to get back into shape quickly. As I will discuss in future entries, P90X is not for the weak of heart or mind or spirit. It is an intense workout, but it works.

In this blog, both Meghan and I will post entries. We will share our successes, and our failures (like when I decide to eat a pint of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream for lunch!). We will share some workouts and some recipes. Part of this started because we see a chance to help others out, friends and friends of friends who might be facing these same sorts of concerns we were and are. Part of it is the hope that enough people read this blog that we become famous, I mean come on, who doesn’t want a little fame? So, read along as we travel the long road to a healthier us.